There are still too many who would rather fight to maintain the status quo and pick at the bones of dead-state economic carcasses than sacrifice to keep them alive. It isn’t a matter of accepting “permanent decline” or the end of American exceptionalism. That will occur only if we refuse to sacrifice individually and collectively to reinvigorate our economy and culture. Either we will do something about the financial mess we’re in or a solution will be imposed on us by the Chinese, a future generation or a worthless dollar. Which do we prefer?